In a Tuesday (12/6) blog post for a Grantmakers In the Arts forum on Equity in Arts Funding in response to Fusing Arts, Culture, and Social Change, a recent report from the National Committee on Responsive Philanthropy, League of American Orchestras President and CEO Jesse Rosen writes, “I heartily support the NCRP report’s recommendation that philanthropic investment in the arts should benefit underserved communities and promote greater equity, opportunity, and justice. But I take issue with the suggestion that foundation support to large-budget organizations and those that perform the Western canon is, by definition, at odds with these goals. The NCRP presents this as a zero sum problem; i.e., take from one to support the other. At a time when resources to support arts and culture are strained, everyone wins when we work together to realize the capacities of cultural organizations large and small, traditional and culturally unique. It should be noted that 90% of the League’s adult member orchestras have budgets under $5 million, therefore qualifying as ‘small’ according to the definition used in the NCRP report. The report mentions that it does not fully take into account foundation support that broadens and diversifies access to mainstream cultural offerings, and I would suggest that this is not an insignificant omission and worth additional data collection and analysis. … More than 60% of the 32,000 concerts given annually by League member orchestras are specifically dedicated to education or community engagement, for a wide range of young and adult audiences. Nearly half of those concerts are presented free of charge.”
Posted December 7, 2011
